Notes to Machiavelli, as he will, offers advice

* Machivalli's preemptive dismissal of Vettori's claim that the Italians, if pressed, will band together to defeat the Swiss will amuse anyone who finds stories of Italian politics and government ridiculous to the point of disbelief--yet at the same time impossible to turn away from:

As to union of the Italians, you make me laugh, first, because there never will be union here to do anything good.